Paid vacation to home daycare - is that standard?

[Anonymous]

A lot of in-home daycares I interviewed do not charge for vacation time. It varies. And frankly, it disgusted me. The daycare owner is not my employee. Rather, she brings in about 10x what I make a month, and it is SHE who should be paying HER employees salaries when they are on THEIR vacations. I don't pay restaurants when they close, or any establishment for that matter.

[Anonymous]

It is normal. In fact, I'd wonder about any home day care provider that doesn't get paid vacation. Anyone running a business should do the basic research to determine what the market rate is for services and basic contract requirements. Just as you have to pay when your child is home sick for the day, you have to pay for a vacation.

If you aren't paying your provider when she's on leave, then you don't have a contract for that period of time. So maybe your child won't have a spot when she reopens.

[Anonymous]

It's standard, as everyone's said. And quite honestly, all daycares charge for vacation time, whether directly or indirectly--they're either asking you to pay a flat monthly fee for all months (most common in my experience) or they're charging you week by week, but adjusting rates to allow them to cover vacations and other benefits for employees or other expenses related to running the business. Either way it comes down to what you're comfortable paying and what you're getting for that.

I would also not be in a position to choose a daycare closed for four weeks of the year, though; I don't have enough vacation to cover that time, so I'd be paying double for alternate care, and I can't afford to do that either. Two weeks works well, though--we try to plan our family vacation around one of them, and then the other DH and I split taking time off to cover it. That leaves us enough vacation time left to cover sick days and the like.

[Anonymous]

You're daycare set-up sounds exactly like mine when dd was in daycare. Yes, you pay the vacation. I was glad to do it--I considered my provider and her assistants to be integral in raising my child with me.

[Anonymous]

oops--"Your daycare..." ^^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're daycare set-up sounds exactly like mine when dd was in daycare. Yes, you pay the vacation. I was glad to do it--I considered my provider and her assistants to be integral in raising my child with me.

Too bad more parents dont feel the way you do. If one has an excellent daycare where you know your child is taken care of, safe, loved, etc. The rest should be mute points. Period

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of in-home daycares I interviewed do not charge for vacation time. It varies. And frankly, it disgusted me. The daycare owner is not my employee. Rather, she brings in about 10x what I make a month, and it is SHE who should be paying HER employees salaries when they are on THEIR vacations. I don't pay restaurants when they close, or any establishment for that matter.

I sure would love to know what provider makes TEN times what you make. Unless you are making very little. If a provider is only allowed 5 children in her home, then you take into consideration expenses (equipment, food, supplies, overhead) the provider is actually getting paid very little to do the job she is doing. However she is still providing the exceptional care you desire. I dont see how you get these providers are making 10x what you are. You need to open your eyes to reality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's standard, as everyone's said. And quite honestly, all daycares charge for vacation time, whether directly or indirectly--they're either asking you to pay a flat monthly fee for all months (most common in my experience) or they're charging you week by week, but adjusting rates to allow them to cover vacations and other benefits for employees or other expenses related to running the business. Either way it comes down to what you're comfortable paying and what you're getting for that.

I would also not be in a position to choose a daycare closed for four weeks of the year, though; I don't have enough vacation to cover that time, so I'd be paying double for alternate care, and I can't afford to do that either. Two weeks works well, though--we try to plan our family vacation around one of them, and then the other DH and I split taking time off to cover it. That leaves us enough vacation time left to cover sick days and the like.

The provider who stated she closes for 4 weeks has already clarified several times she charges for ONE week of the 4. How do you feel you'd be paying a provider double for 4 weeks? Granted maybe there are some out there who do charge for all the weeks they are closed, whether directly or indirectly. IMO I dont see any problem with paying for 1 week a provider is closed, would have an issue with paying for all 4 weeks. But it is what it is. You have to take the bad with the good when looking for exceptional care. Thats the way I see it

[Anonymous]

I have to agree that 4 weeks sounds like a lot to me, too. Our center is closed about 10 days out of the year (holidays) and they all coincide with the days off I receive. They go to training/staff development on the weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're daycare set-up sounds exactly like mine when dd was in daycare. Yes, you pay the vacation. I was glad to do it--I considered my provider and her assistants to be integral in raising my child with me.

Too bad more parents dont feel the way you do. If one has an excellent daycare where you know your child is taken care of, safe, loved, etc. The rest should be mute points. Period

Moot points. Or, if you're Joey from Friends, moo points. Like a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're daycare set-up sounds exactly like mine when dd was in daycare. Yes, you pay the vacation. I was glad to do it--I considered my provider and her assistants to be integral in raising my child with me.

Too bad more parents dont feel the way you do. If one has an excellent daycare where you know your child is taken care of, safe, loved, etc. The rest should be mute points. Period

Moot points. Or, if you're Joey from Friends, moo points. Like a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter.

. Best post of the day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're daycare set-up sounds exactly like mine when dd was in daycare. Yes, you pay the vacation. I was glad to do it--I considered my provider and her assistants to be integral in raising my child with me.

Too bad more parents dont feel the way you do. If one has an excellent daycare where you know your child is taken care of, safe, loved, etc. The rest should be mute points. Period

Moot points. Or, if you're Joey from Friends, moo points. Like a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Yes. You cheap person. This person takes care of your kid. Ie does your job.

[Anonymous]

I do think it's annoying though when providers don't schedule the same week every year in the summer. Ours would tell us about 2 months in advance and each year it was a different week and even different month and there was no easy way to plan for it. Luckily we were able to find a solution, but like all preschools that have a set vacation day schedule, I think a daycare provider should do the same or arrange for some sort of backup arrangement. Ours helped us find other arrangements so in the end I wasn't too put off by the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think it's annoying though when providers don't schedule the same week every year in the summer. Ours would tell us about 2 months in advance and each year it was a different week and even different month and there was no easy way to plan for it. Luckily we were able to find a solution, but like all preschools that have a set vacation day schedule, I think a daycare provider should do the same or arrange for some sort of backup arrangement. Ours helped us find other arrangements so in the end I wasn't too put off by the whole thing.

Well, unlike a center, us providers need to be able to not only get the best deals we can get out there for our vacation as well as the possiblity the week we may want is not available the following year. Lots of factors. Maybe we are planning around other family members who are traveling with. Or maybe a spouses schedule. While I can pretty much get the same week off, I cant nor will guarantee it. 2 months notice is more than enough time IMHO. Every year I took off 4th july week, but then either my DH couldnt take off because someone else asked for that week before he could, or we couldnt afford the extra charges the hotel did during the week of a holiday. It is what it is.